Sacked Former Wajir County Secretary Was a Man of Few Parts

The sacked Wajir County Secretary was a man of few parts particularly to the office of the County Secretary. The disgraced sacked Secretary was arrested by the EACC last Saturday on fraud charges but his behind the doors operations left little to be desired. Ahmed Sahal Omar was a classic case of nepotistic beneficiary. He neither had the requisite qualifications nor the preferred experience of holding the office of the County Secretary. The powers and requirement of the Office of the County Secretary appeared to have been unknown to or more likely ignored by the current County Governor when he made the shocking appointment of Mr Sahal. Mr Sahal has had no management experience prior to his appointment, had no qualifications pertinent to the Office but had one important requirement it appeared: blood relation to the appointing authority. Mr Sahal does not only hail from the Odey Suge sub-clan of the governor but was brought up by the governor himself. Against the advice of both critics and supporters of the government he was rushed through nomination and appointment process. It was a shocker to both friends and foes who knew Mr Sahal. He lacked the cool-headed mannerism and the dignified calmness to handle the high pressure office. He locked horns with co-workers and the general public on petty matters and was a big scar on the conscience of those who believed in professionalism.

Few weeks into his appointment word was in town that he was openly and without regard to decorum asking bribes from job-seekers in return for a job in his administration. For many, neither the job nor the money they parted with came back to them. they are worse for wear. It seemed long over due for the EACC and his arrest was welcomed by many residents. People are tribal in the main and would move the earth to defend those they consider their own but there is always a tipping point for them where enough is enough. I think they have reached the limit of their patience and despite considering him their own they were happy for him to carry his own cross.

Corruption by County Governments has become the most talked on social media and other platforms. It is unfortunately the rule not the exception and the EACC has been too slow and the wheel of justice that has already been too luggish to catch up with thieves has been further slowed by the elephant of evidence. It is like everybody knows theft of public money is happening, that money is passed through local airports in bags and sacks but authorities with prosecutorial powers either look the other way or find difficult to find the prima facia evidence to get to those thieving civil servants and elected officials. Unfortunately the best weapon against theft and corruption is personal integrity. This appears to be in very limited supply.